Lab on Fiber platforms for physical and biochemical sensing

Lab on Fiber platforms for physical and biochemical sensing

Description of the activity

“Lab on Fiber” (LOF) represents a key enabling technology for physical and biochemical sensing, opening the way for the implementation of “all in fiber” autonomous multifunction sensing platform able to analyze sensorial data, providing radically new diagnostics properties. The integration onto the optical fiber tip of metallic and metallo-dielectric nanostructures supporting surface plasmonic resonances (SPR) or Localized SPR (LSPR) provides the opportunity to perform remote physical and label-free biological sensing in a novel fashion. In addition to low sample volumes, other advantages are: real-time detection, simple optical interrogation set-up, which, through the small cross-section of the fiber, provide an inherently light-coupled substrate uniquely suited to remote, in vivo and in situ applications. Three platforms based on this technology have been developed: metallic, hybrid (metallo-dielectric) sensors and all dielectric LOF. Hybrid platform is used as dosimeter for ionizing radiation monitoring at ultra-high doses. The dosimeter consists in a metallo-dielectric resonator supporting LSPR realized on the optical fiber tip. The resonating structure involves two gratings: one of gold and the other realized through a polymeric dielectric layer. The other two LOF configurations are developed in order to realize label free biosensors able to perform assays for detecting and quantifying cancer biomarkers and mycotoxins of interest.

Involved personnel

E. Esposito | A. Crescitelli | V. Di Meo

National and International Collaborations

Instrumentation/facilities

  • Electron beam lithography system, Raith 150;
  • Spin coater system;
  • Reactive ion etching system, Plasmalab 80 plus Oxford Instruments;
  • DC/RF magnetron sputtering system;
  • Scanning electron microscope, Zeiss;
  • Atomic force microscope, XE-70 Park Systems;
  • Optical microscope, BX53MRF Olympus;
  • Clean room (ISO 5).

Active projects and contracts

  • nanoPhotonIc plaTforms for ultraSensiTive Liquid BiOPsy, PIT STOP, PRIN – 2017, 2019-2022, 20173CRP3H_003 -, CUP: B64I19001290001, P.I.: Antonello Cutolo, University of Sannio; Project manager of ISASI Napoli: Emanuela Esposito
  • OPtical Technology In Marine and medical Applications, OPTIMA, PON MIUR, ID 3162831, 2020-2021, P.I.: Antonello Cutolo, University of Sannio; CNR Manager: Michele Giordano, CNR-IPCB; Sub Project manager of ISASI Napoli: Emanuela Esposito
  • Radiation Dosimetry with Fiber Optic Sensors, RaDFOS, ATTRACT project, Horizon 2020, 2020-2021, ID3162831, P.I.: Francesco Fienga, INFN; Project managers of ISASI Napoli: Emanuela Esposito, Alessio Crescitelli